The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa, Volume 2 eBook

SECTION XIV

“Sanjaya said, ’Then Drona, causing a
great confusion in the Pandava host, careered through
it, like a conflagration consuming (a forest of) trees.
Beholding that angry warrior, owning a golden car,
consume their divisions like a raging conflagration,
the Srinjayas trembled (in fear). The twang,
in that battle, of the constantly stretched bow of
that warrior of great activity was heard to resemble
the roar of the thunder.[24] Fierce shafts shot by
Drona, endued with great lightness of hand, began
to crush car-warriors and horsemen and elephant-warriors
and foot soldiers along with elephants and steeds.
Showering his arrows as the roaring clouds at the
close of summer, assisted by the wind, pour hail-stones,
he inspired fear in the hearts of the foe. Coursing
(through the hostile ranks), O king, and agitating
the troops, the mighty Drona enhanced the unnatural
fear entertained by the enemy. The gold-decked
bow, on his quickly-moving car, was repeatedly seen
to resemble the lightning’s flash amid a mass
of dark clouds. That hero, firm in truth, endued
with wisdom, and always devoted, besides, to righteousness,
caused an awful river of angry current, such as may
be seen at the end of the Yuga, to flow there.
And that river had its source in the impetuosity of
Drona’s wrath, and it was haunted by crowds of
carnivorous creatures. And the combatants constituted
the waves that filled its entire surface. And
heroic warriors constituted the trees on its banks
whose roots were constantly eaten away by its current.
And its waters were constituted by the blood that
was shed in that battle, and cars constituted its eddies,
and elephants and steeds formed its banks. And
costs of mail constituted its lilies, and the flesh
of creatures the mire on its bed. And the fat,
marrow, and bones (of fallen animals and men) formed
the sands on its beach, and (fallen) head-gears its
froth. And the battle itself that was fought
there constituted the canopy above its surface.
And lances constituted the fish with which it abounded.
And it was inaccessible in consequence of the large
number of (slain) men, elephants, and steeds (that
fell in it). And the impetus of the shaft shot
constituted its current. And the slain bodies
themselves constituted the timber floating on it.
And cars constituted its tortoises. And heads
constituted the stones scattered on its banks and
bed, and scimitars, its fish in profusion. And
cars and elephants formed its lakes. And it was
decked with many adornments. And mighty car-warriors
constituted its hundreds of little whirlpools.
And the dust of the earth constituted its wavelets.
And capable of being easily crossed by those possessed
of exceeding energy, it was incapable of being crossed
by the timid. And heaps of dead bodies constituted
the sand-banks obstructing its navigation. And
it was the haunt of Kankas and vultures and other
birds of prey. And it carried away thousands